Dallas Mavericks PA announcer mistakenly announces DaRon Bland as Trevon Diggs
Dallas Cowboys (10-3) cornerback DaRon Bland has burst onto the scene this season in place of the injured Trevon Diggs, leading the NFL with eight interceptions — five of them for touchdowns — a single-season record.
Such a performance this season will likely result in Bland earning his first Pro Bowl and perhaps All-Pro nod. But apparently, his stellar play isn’t enough to get him the proper recognition in the same city he plays in.
Bland attended the Dallas Mavericks’ home game against the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night and was shown on the jumbotron. The only problem, however, is that the graphic underneath him read, “Trevon Diggs — Dallas Cowboys Cornerback.” The PA announcer even introduced him to the crowd at American Airlines Center as, “Mr. pick-six is in the house, Trevon Diggs.”
The PA announcer immediately issued an apology for the mistake, and reintroduced Bland as, well, himself, per Carlos Nava of ESPN. Bland isn’t the only star Cowboys defender in the house, as linebacker Micah Parsons is taking in the action as well. Joining them courtside is Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger.
DaRon Bland in midst of historic season for Cowboys
Bland, the 2022 fifth-round pick out of Fresno State, was thrust into the starting lineup after Diggs suffered a torn ACL in practice following Week 2. He’s been one of the best cornerbacks in the league, earning a 90.5 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. His historic season continued in the 33-13 Week 14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) Sunday, holding Eagles star wideout DeVonta Smith to one reception for nine yards when they were lined up across each other. Smith hauled in four receptions for 64 yards when lined up away from Bland.
Head coach Mike McCarthy had nothing but praise for Bland after he recorded his record-setting fifth pick-six on Thanksgiving Day.
“Man, what an incredible play, what he’s done in such a short time in his career,” McCarthy said. “And he’s such a humble young man. I think if you could just see, I hope you saw it on the sideline and felt it. The reaction itself is something I’ll never forget. Obviously, it is NFL history but the reaction when he came into the locker room. I think it speaks volumes about how people feel, how everybody feels, about him as a man. But man, boy, he sees it and gets it. The return was as good as I’ve seen.”